The Shadow Tales: Before the Shadow War

A Shadow's Curiosity

Deep within a mountain and below its crusty interior there lay a place an underground base of some sort and at the edge of this supposed area was a portal that led to the surface as close to that door was a lone shadow shaped like a pony but wasn't a pony at all as it stared longingly at the door. By the shadow's hooves were a rune circle with ancient writing circling inside it as it glowed a red hue being the only source of light within the darkness that was its home. The shadow took one solitary step before he felt a presence behind him and looked back to see who had followed him to the door as he spots another shadow but this one was a bit taller by a few inches and had more muscles then his hooves as the bigger shadow spoke.

"What are you doing here again? You are not assigned here unless this is another one of your attempts at trying to reach the surface" the bigger shadow said as it took a step forward the two blades on its back glistening in the darkness

"Hey you know me just need that sunlight you know it helps make a shadow's life all the more brighter" the smaller shadow said in a joking manner as it took a step to the portal as he thought to himself "I made it this far can't go back now"

"You know I can't let you walk out of here. Going out there will bring unwanted attention and it goes against protocol to go up top without clearance from the Dark General and could warrant serious punishment" the bigger shadow said as we see the shadows inside it move around as it enters a bipedal stance as its fore hooves become fingers and hold onto the two swords on its back

"Yeah serious punishment wow you're right that slap to the hoof will really teach me a lesson about this" the smaller shadow says as it gets closer and closer to the portal each second becomes more anxious to go through

"Spell Caster of the fifth division of the ShadowLands you will stop where you are and report back to your post" the bigger shadow said as it took the swords out of their holsters and carries them in his hand

"Oh now we're bringing rank and name into this eh? Well Sharp Swords of the 17th division of the ShadowLands what are you going to do about me leaving?" Spell said as he looked at Sharp with a smug expression on his face as he entered a bipedal stance standing on two legs his forehooves not getting any fingers as the runes which he dubbed spell circles were forming on his forehooves as they stared each other down

Ponyville 12:00 am 5 days ago

Twilight Sparkle looked out her window for the 50th time as she was studying the magical anomalies that were happening near Ponyville such as time distortions where things go faster and slower then their normal speed, random bouts of darkness where it was dark when it should have been bright, and a random increase and decrease of gravity. She had recorded down the recent results from the observations she had made so far as she peered out her window yet again paranoid that there was a possible anomaly happening that she did not record down. Twilight looked back to her book as she studied on what these anomalies were and what they could possibly mean as she looked through many references and history books and even looking into books of legends to see and grasp what was happening. After a full night of studying Twilight sighed as she double checked her data and graphs to see if she was missing anything but soon fell asleep as exhaustion overtook her while the true event was going to happen closer then she would have ever expected.

Twilight woke up as the rays of the sun pierce through the window as she slowly got out of bed and check outside yet again for any changes that she needed to record as she walked downstairs hearing Spike in the kitchen preparing breakfast as she yawned getting herself a cup of coffee as she gave Spike a usual good morning.

"Good Morning Twilight, uh are you alright you look like you barely slept last night" Spike asked as he took a worried tone seeing the bags under Twilight's eyes

Twilight merely waved it off with her hoof and said "I'm fine Spike I was just up all night researching the anomalies that have been happening around Ponyville and the surrounding area" as she took a sip of her coffee

"I really think this isn't healthy Twilight I mean you've been staying up all night for the past week trying to figure out something that may not even be that serious and could just be something minor" Spike said as he bit into a gem he had on him

"Spike, you know how important this is when Princess Celestia herself says that these could be a very important signs of a threat to Equestria!" Twilight said to Spike to as she waved her hooves above her

But just when Spike was about to answer back with a reply a stranger in a hood had knocked on the door and let himself in as he looked over the many books that were in the library as if he were searching for a certain book of some kind as Twilight walked up to him.

"Hello sir its pretty early to come and borrow a book but you seem to be looking for one in peculiar is there anyway that could help in locating this certain book you would wish to borrow?" Twilight said as she tried to see past the stranger's hood

"Oh I was just skimming this here library for a book I've been searching for some time and yes I would be quite delighted to have a fine mare such as yourself to help me find what I have been looking for" the stranger says in a deep voice as his eyes twinkled behind his hood

"So what is the title of this book that you wanted to borrow?" Twilight asked as she looked around her library looking through books that were not commonly found

"Oh this book is called the "Shadow's Principle" an old book with a bunch of myths surrounding the legends of the shadows I doubt you've heard of them" the stranger said as he looked around

"Oh that book yes I do believe I have it and if I remember correctly there are only five copies that exist within Equestria" Twilight says as she takes out an old and withered book from the shelves

"Ah, yes that is what I am looking for" the stranger says as he takes the book from Twilight quickly and looks it over to see if it was the real deal

"You seem quite excited about that book I mean the contents are observations on where the supposed shadows live and a story about a stallion and a mare in love but were betrayed by a close friend and are reunited in death as they create the supposed shadow race" Twilight summarizes as she remembers reading it as a story in bed

"Yes, the story is quite a read but what I'm most interested is the story about the offspring between the two, Enigma the first shadow" the stranger says as he walks off with the book in hoof

"Wait sir I never got your name or where I can find you if I need to get that book back" Twilight yelled at the stranger

"Well I'm a wanderer so I'll come give it back when I need to return it and the name is Prometheus" he said as he walked off chuckling a dark aura could be felt at that moment as he disappeared